Flexible hoses are widely used throughout industry to convey fluids under pressure. Such hoses typically are employed in the conveyance of volatile fluids, in conjunction with medical equipment, and in spray painting apparatus. In all of these applications it is desirable to provide such hoses with means for preventing the buildup of a charge of static electricity thereon during use.
Flexible hose constructions have been proposed previously which have electrical conductors disposed therealong for the purpose of dissipating static electricity; however, such hose constructions have various deficiencies. In particular, many of such previously proposed hose constructions employ metal conductors which when subjected to normal flexing movements of the hose are easily broken resulting in loss of electrical continuity and often resulting in damage to such hose constructions. Others of such previously proposed hose constructions utilize electrical conductors and associated components which are comparatively expensive; and, still others utilize electrically conductive materials which are compounded within component layers of such hose constructions resulting in substantial costs.